Clamp



Patente-d dan. liti, i923.

unirse lise CLAMP.

Application led April 8,

.'I o all whom t may concer/n,

Be it known that l, ARTHUR L. CooHRANn, of the city of Toronto, in the county of York, Province of ntario, Canada, a sub ject of the King of Great Britain, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in Clamps, of which the following is a speciiication.

This invention relates to devices for fastening` ropes, ties, straps, webbing and the like and my object is to devise a clamp particularly adapted for use with boots and shoes to secure the ends of the laces used therewith which is simple and neat and which may, to a considerable extent, be concealed between the shoe upper and its lining.

I attain my object by means of the construction hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. l is a perspective view of part of a boot provided with' my improved clamp;

Fig. 2 a longitudinal section of the clamp as applied to a boot and on a larger scale;

Fig. 3 a plan view of the same; and

Fig. 4 a longitudinal section of the clamp with the clamping member in the open position. I

In the drawings like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures.

1 is a body member, preferably formed of sheet instal, stamped to shape and adapted for connection to the boot in the manner hereinafter described. To this body member is hinged a clamp member 2, which is formed as an open frame. Tn the preferred construction, one side 3 of the clamp member is o'set to lie below the body member and to form at each end a journal d, each engaging one of the notches 5 formed at opposite sides of the body member.

Formed on or connected with the body member is a knob 6, preferably of hemispherical form as shown but which may be of any convex shape substantially without a neck adjacent the body member. The side 7 ofthe clamp member opposite the side 3 is shaped to co-operate with the knob at the side thereof remote from the hinge to .clamp a lace passed between them as indicated in Fig. 1. The knob being circular in plan, the side 7 is preferably made approximately semi-circular in plan as indicated partieularly in Fig. 3. @ne sideof 'the clamp 1922. Serial No. 559,903.

member is preferably omitted as shown to facilitate the engagement of a lace between the clamp member and knob.

To further facilitate the introduction of the lace, it is preferable that the free end 8 of the side 7 be slightly knobbed and turned upwardly as shown particularly in Fig. ll. This end, through its shape, is also readily engageable by the users finger when it is desired to raise the clamp member from the clamping position. A lip 9 is also preferably formed on the clamp member opposite the end 8 so that the clamp member is readily grasped by the finger and thumb to pull it to the` open position. lt is desirable to provide spring means tending to retain the clamp member in either the clamping or the open position. T therefore provide the spring plate l0, which is preferably formed integral with the body member l and underlies the same. Two flats are formed on the side 3 of the clamp member, the flat 1l engaging the spring plate in such a manner that the spring pressure tends to hold the clamp member in the clamping position while the flat l2, when engaged with the spring plate as shown particularly in Fig. ll, tends to hold the clamp member in the raised position, thus facilitating the introduction of the lace between the clamp mem ber and knob.

The knob 12 is preferably formed by the head of a rivet or screw 13, which passes through alined holes in the body member and clamp, and which may be upset at its inner end to secure it in position. This rivet or screw can thus be used as shown to secure the body member behind the surface of the shoe upper 14. The shoe upper, it will be noted, is provided with an opening through which the side of the clamp member connected with the adjacent iournal i passes. Only the knob, and the clamp member will thus be exposed at the outside of the shoe.

lt is, however, preferable to also secure the body member to the upper b v means of the rivet l5 passing through tbe body member and the upper at a point remote from the knob. For some purposes it desirable that a spring tongue should be provided to retain the freeend of the lace in such a position that it is not likely to be accidentally disengaged from the clamp. For this purpose l therefore offset thewend of the body member remote from the knob in ber remote from the knob is offset forwardly and extended in a direction away from the knob to torm a tongue.

il. A clamp member comprising a body member having a hole therein; a headed screw projecting through said hole, its head forming a convex knob projecting from the outer face of said body member; and a clamp member `formed as an open frame hinged at one side on the body member and having its opposite side adapted to co-operate with the knob at the side thereof remote- 'rom the hinggge to clamp a lace passing round the last mentioned side of the clamp and between itA and the knob.

1Q. A clamp member comprising a body member having a hole therein; a headed screw proj ecting through said hole, its head forming a convex knob projecting from the outer face of said body member; a clamp member formed as an open frame hinged at one side on the body member and having its opposite side adapted to co-operate with the knob at Clamp member having a flat thereon engageg able by the spring plate to hold the clamp member in clamping position.

13. A clamp comprising a body member having a convex knob projecting from its outer face; and a clamp member formed as fan open frame hinged at one side on the body member and having its opposite side adapted to co-operate with the knob at the side thereof remote from the hinge to clamp a lace passing round the last mentioned side of the clamp and between it and the knob; the body member extending somewhat beyond the knob.

Signed at Toronto, Canada, this 17 th day of March, 1922.

ARTHUR L. COCHRANE. 

